Arch Capital Group Ltd. (ACGL) Q1 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
After-tax operating income $587 million, an increase from the previous year, despite $547 million of catastrophe losses.
Operating earnings per share $1.54, reflecting strong performance despite competitive market conditions.
Annualized operating return on equity 11.5%, indicating solid profitability.
Net premium written (Insurance segment) $1.9 billion, a 25% increase from Q1 2024, driven by the integration of the MidCorp and Entertainment Insurance Businesses.
Underwriting income (Mortgage segment) $252 million, consistent performance despite challenges in mortgage origination.
Delinquency rate (U.S. MI business) 1.96%, indicating strong portfolio performance.
Invested assets $43.1 billion, a 4% increase from year-end.
Net investment income and income from funds accounting $431 million pre-tax, a decrease attributed to a special dividend payment and portfolio repositioning.
Cash flow from operations Approximately $1.5 billion for the quarter, indicating strong operational performance.
Common shareholders' equity $20.7 billion, reflecting a strong balance sheet.
Debt plus preferred to capital ratio 14.7%, indicating a low leverage position.
Book value per share 3.8% growth for the quarter, reflecting overall strong performance.
Combined ratio (ex-catastrophe) 81%, showing improvement across all segments compared to the same quarter last year.
Favorable prior year development $167 million pre-tax, contributing 4 points to the overall combined ratio.
Reinsurance segment net premiums written growth 2.2%, impacted by reinstatement premiums and non-renewals.
Share repurchase $196 million in Q1 and an additional $100 million in April, demonstrating disciplined capital management.
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- New Investment Disclosure: According to an SEC filing dated February 10, 2026, Robertson Opportunity Capital disclosed a new stake in MarketAxess (NASDAQ:MKTX) by purchasing 28,830 shares valued at approximately $5.23 million, indicating confidence in the company.
- Asset Allocation Change: This acquisition represents 1.9% of Robertson's 13F reportable assets, highlighting MarketAxess's significance in the portfolio and potentially influencing future investment decisions.
- Market Performance Analysis: As of February 9, 2026, MarketAxess shares were priced at $171.23, down 13.7% over the past year and underperforming the S&P 500 by 28 percentage points, reflecting market caution regarding its future growth.
- Growth Potential Assessment: Despite total sales only inching up 4% in 2025, MarketAxess saw average daily volumes in block trading, portfolio trading, and dealer-initiated trading increase by 29%, 41%, and 32% respectively, indicating significant growth opportunities in the largely untapped bond trading market.
- Innovative Collaboration: Arch RoamRight partners with Tern to become the first travel insurance provider to offer products directly through Tern's platform, enhancing purchasing convenience for travel advisors and travelers while solidifying its market leadership.
- Instant Insurance Access: This integration allows travel advisors and travelers to access Arch RoamRight's insurance products immediately when planning their trips, significantly improving customer experience and enhancing trust.
- Enhanced Customer Experience: The incorporation of Arch RoamRight's offerings into Tern's platform provides travelers with a one-stop solution for booking and protection, streamlining the travel planning process and increasing travel advisors' efficiency and client satisfaction.
- Strategic Market Positioning: This partnership not only demonstrates Arch RoamRight's commitment to technological innovation but also indicates its dedication to enhancing customer protection and service quality in the highly competitive travel insurance market.
- Significant Earnings Growth: Arch Capital generated $1.1 billion in after-tax operating income in Q4 2025, a 26% increase year-over-year, with total after-tax operating income reaching $3.7 billion for the year, showcasing the company's strong performance and profitability in the insurance market.
- Effective Capital Management: The company repurchased $1.9 billion of common stock in 2025, reflecting robust operating cash flows and capital generation capabilities, while book value per share increased by 22.6%, further enhancing shareholder value.
- Strong Insurance Segment Performance: The insurance group reported $119 million in underwriting income for Q4, with gross premiums written increasing by 2%, while the reinsurance segment achieved a record $1.6 billion in underwriting income for the year, indicating solid growth across business segments.
- Optimistic Outlook: Despite increased competition, management expressed measured optimism for 2026, expecting the operating expense ratio to range between 3.9% and 4.5%, demonstrating the company's ongoing focus on cost control and risk management.
- Rating Upgrade: Arch Capital Group has received an upgrade to an overweight rating, reflecting analysts' optimistic outlook on its future performance, which is likely to attract more investor attention.
- Price Target Set: Analysts have set an average price target of $107.15, indicating significant upside potential for the stock price, which may enhance market confidence in the company.
- Market Reaction: This rating upgrade could lead to a short-term increase in stock price, thereby boosting investor buying interest and further driving the company's market capitalization growth.
- Investor Confidence: With the rating elevation, Arch Capital Group is expected to attract more institutional investors, strengthening its competitive position in the insurance and reinsurance markets.
- Earnings Beat: Arch Capital reported a Q4 non-GAAP EPS of $2.98, exceeding expectations by $0.41, indicating robust performance in its insurance and reinsurance segments, although shares only rose by 0.04%.
- Catastrophic Losses: The company faced pre-tax current accident year catastrophic losses of $164 million in its insurance and reinsurance segments, net of reinsurance and reinstatement premiums, highlighting ongoing market risks.
- Reserve Development: Arch Capital experienced favorable development in prior year loss reserves amounting to $118 million, net of related adjustments, showcasing effective risk management and loss control, which enhances financial stability.
- Share Buybacks: The company executed $798 million in share repurchases during Q4, reflecting confidence in its intrinsic value, while the book value per common share reached $65.11 as of December 31, 2025, marking a 4.5% increase from September 30, 2025.








